Originally posted on Views from the Center by Steve Radelet:

Barak Obama’s powerful foreign policy speech in Chicago in April of this year laid out a clear vision for regaining US leadership in the world, including on critical issues confronting the poorest countries of the world. Senator Obama called for strengthening the operations of the United Nations, World Bank and other multilateral institutions to solve the world’s most pressing problems, rather than just attacking them. He also called for a doubling of US foreign assistance to $50 billion per year by 2012 to build education systems, fight disease, help build democracies, and strengthen governance systems. He made it clear why these goals are important not just for the poorest citizens of the world, but for the people of the United States.

Senator Obama was the second candidate to recognize the need for bold leadership in working alongside the poorest countries of the world, following Senator John Edwards’ call in March of this year for a significant increase in foreign assistance and a reorganization of those programs (including appointing a Cabinet-level coordinator). It was heartening to see major candidates take a clear stand early in the campaign and show strong leadership on strengthening the role of the US in working with the poorest countries of the world, not just through additional funding but by making those funds more effective in fighting poverty and by creating more economic opportunities for the poor. It is critical that the next president take steps to restore US leadership in the world, and to do so effectively will require much more than military might and figuring out what to do about Iraq.

We’re still hoping that the other candidates on both sides of the aisle follow their lead and recognize the importance of complementing military strength with stronger diplomacy and a sharper, smarter focus on fighting poverty and injustice around the world.

Originally posted on Views from the Center by Sarah Jane Hise:

John Edwards released the first global poverty proposal of the ‘08 presidential campaigns in March of this year. In “Restoring America’s Moral Leadership by Fighting Worldwide Poverty“, Edwards’ campaign said:

John Edwards believes that the United States must be a global leader in the fight against poverty. Solving global poverty is a moral imperative, but it is also a security issue. Global poverty increases the risk to America by providing a safe harbor for instability, extremism, and terrorism. Edwards’ strategy against global poverty will require every weapon in our national security arsenal. For the last six years, too many burdens have been placed on the Department of Defense–not because it has asked for this mission or is the best suited to handle these challenges, but because it has been the most capable and well-funded national security institution.As president, John Edwards will fundamentally transform America’s approach to the world. He will bring high-level attention to help people in three priority areas: primary education, preventive health, and greater economic and political opportunity.

Edwards vowed to appoint a new cabinet-level position within the White House to coordinate global development policies across the federal government, including USAID, the State Department, Treasury, Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the U.S. Trade Representative. The creation of a single, cabinet-level development agency (more than just a position) was one of the key recommendations in “On the Brink“, a report of the Commission on Weak States and U.S. National Security, co-chaired by Stuart E. Eizenstat and John Edward Porter and sponsored by CGD.

Edwards also promised to replace the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with a new Global Development Act to “modernize, consolidate and simplify foreign aid and call on Congress to revamp its committee structure to create clearer and more effective lines of authority.”

Three cheers for John Edwards for being the first presidential candidate of the 2008 campaigns to put forth his proposal on global poverty. We’re still waiting for all of the candidates to outline their position.

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